382 



HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



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FT 



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zontal wheel, in the same manner as in the case 

 of a carriage, for the easy turning about of the 

 machine in any re- 

 quired direction, as is 

 represented in the 

 ground plan of the 

 tree-lifter at m. Best- 

 ing upon the frames, 

 as is shown in the 

 front and back sec- 

 tions, and parallel to 

 each other at a dis- 

 tance of about 2 feet 

 apart, are two strong beams of wood about 10 

 inches deep by 6 inches broad (see side elevation 

 of tree-lifter at c, and 

 Fig. 144. also on the ground 



HH i m plan at n n). Those 



r .M lMl n beams are fastened 



to the frames placed 

 above the fore and aft 

 axles by means of 

 j strong iron bolts, 

 which can be un- 

 screwed as occasion 

 may require ; and placed across upon those hori- 

 zontal beams again are two others (see ground 

 plan at o o), into which the jack-screws are 

 placed. The screws are also shown in their 

 working state in side elevation d d, with their 

 cross handles for turning, e e. On the under 

 part of these jack-screws, as placed through the 

 cross-beams, are attached the strong chains by 

 means of which the tree is principally taken out 

 of its place (see p p) ; and as an assistant to 

 them, there are side-chains attached to strong 

 iron rings fixed upon the beams (see //). Those 

 side-chains are made to act along with the 

 others attached to the screws, and are also 

 found necessary to retain the weight of the tree, 

 and its ball of earth during the reversing of the 

 screws for a new hold. The horizontal planks 

 upon which the ball of earth rests, supported 

 by the chains, are shown on side elevation at g ; 

 and the two cross planks which are placed upon 

 the horizontal ones, for the better support of the 

 ball, are also shown at h h. Those planks re- 

 quire to be made of the best oak, not less than 

 4 inches thick." To render this description of 

 the machine more perspicuous, it will be neces- 

 sary to refer to the mode of loading and un- 

 loading, and as this is inseparable from the pro- 

 cess of taking up and replanting the tree, we 

 shall give it as described by Mr Marnoch, in 

 " The Gardeners' and Farmers' Journal," who 

 was present to witness the operation of remov- 

 ing trees 40 feet in^ height, weighing each, in- 

 cluding the ball of earth and the machine, up- 

 wards of ten tons, and drawn by nine horses. 

 The trees to which Mr Marnoch alludes " were 

 growing on the outskirt of a wood. The ground 

 around the tree was cleared, and at 4 4 feet from 

 the stem of the tree a circular cutting was made 

 to the depth of about 3^ or 4 feet, and about 2\ 

 feet in width. This done, then, on the most 

 open side of the tree, a sloped cutting was 

 made from the surface of the ground to the 

 bottom of what may now be called the ball of 

 earth, and a similar sloping opening was made 



on the opposite side of the tree. The first of 

 these sloped cuttings was made for the pur- 

 pose of drawing out the tree, up this slight in- 

 cline, to the surface of the surrounding ground. 

 The circular opening in the earth around the 

 tree, and the two sloping roads on each side 

 being now prepared, the workmen commenced 

 to undermine the ball of earth : this being done 

 all round, four stout oak planks, long enough, 

 were placed under this ball of earth in front and 

 behind — that is, crossways to the direction of 

 the machine ; and under these two others were 

 placed lengthways, with their ends in the direc- 

 tion to back and front of the machine. It will 

 now be understood that these four oak planks 

 under the ball of earth cross each other at their 

 four extremities ; and around their extremities, 

 at each of the four corners, four sets of strong 

 iron chains are fastened." A reference to our 

 plate will explain this. " The first set of chains 

 brought into play were those attached to the 

 bottom of the jack-screws. Being made as 

 tight as possible over the ball of earth, they 

 were then hooked on to the end of the jack; the 

 two jacks were then turned by two or four men 

 each, as the case may require, until the tree and 

 the ball of earth were raised from the ground 

 about 6 or 10 inches. The jacks were then 

 permitted to rest, and what are called the side- 

 chains were put in requisition. These, as we 

 have already stated, are fastened to the planks 

 under the ball of earth, at the same point as the 

 others, the opposite ends being made fast to the 

 side-beams, as shown in the engraving. This 

 being done at the four corners, the jacks are 

 then reversed, and the first set of chains slack- 

 ened ; the weight of the earth and the tree is 

 then sustained by the side-chains. The first set 

 of chains are again adjusted, and made as tight 

 over the ball of earth as manual power can 

 effect. The jack is again run down, and again 

 attached to the chain at the lowest point it will 

 reach. The jacks are once more applied, and run 

 up to the end of the screw, which has been com- 

 pletely worked up to the under side of the cross- 

 beam on which it rests. By this second lift the 

 jacks have probably gained upon the 6 or 10 

 inches which they made at the first lifting, and 

 the bottom of the ball is now 15 or 20 inches 

 from the ground. The side-chains, which are 

 now quite slackened by the second lift of the 

 jacks, are again made as tight as possible ; this 

 accomplished, and all securely and equally fas- 

 tened to the side-beams again, the jacks are 

 gently reversed, till the weight is equally divided 

 betwixt the side-Chains and the jack-chains. 

 The tree is now in a condition to be drawn out, 

 unless it should be necessary to give it a third 

 lift with the jacks, so as to raise it still higher 

 from the ground ; and if so, the side-chains 

 must always be attended to as already described. 

 They may properly be called the guard-chains, 

 as they prevent accidents in the event of break- 

 age of any of the jack-chains, when the former 

 would take the weight of the tree, and prevent 

 its falling. About 10 or 15 feet up the stem of 

 the tree, four ropes extend from this point to 

 the two front and the two back corners of the 

 machine ; and this is all that experience has 



